Pittsburgh

[kbuzz1]

Hasn't been on in almost four months.

he didn't get banned or something did he?

 

[preluderl]

he didn't get banned or something did he?

I think he did for a short time and then just never came back.

 

[moarhops1]

Whatever happened to shuggy?

You need someone to insult every opinion you have?

 

[bramsdell]

I know that PA has super ****** beer laws, but what is the deal with buying beer? It seems to me like I pretty have three options when I go to Pittsburgh :

1) Go to a brewery and buy crowlers/cans (if I'm lucky). This requires going to each brewery I want to try and knowing that I will want their wares. (Plus, in the case of BG, I'm not bringing a bunch of growlers to PGH with me and then bring them back to DC.)

2) Go to a grocery store. Other than Whole Foods (not close to Sewickley, where my in-laws live) I haven't found a great option here. I've been to a few Giant Eagles and, while I absolutely love Head Hunter (had it at my wedding!), I would really appreciate some better options. I won't get into the silly rule of having separate registers.

3) Go to a beer store, like Bierport or 99 Bottles, and buy individual bottles at an insane price.

What am I missing? I just want to grab a few local 4-/6-packs at one location to bring home to friends. I don't want to buy individual bottles or drive around to multiple breweries. Am I just doing it wrong?

 

[OneDropSoup]

I know that PA has super ****** beer laws, but what is the deal with buying beer? It seems to me like I pretty have three options when I go to Pittsburgh :

1) Go to a brewery and buy crowlers/cans (if I'm lucky). This requires going to each brewery I want to try and knowing that I will want their wares. (Plus, in the case of BG, I'm not bringing a bunch of growlers to PGH with me and then bring them back to DC.)

2) Go to a grocery store. Other than Whole Foods (not close to Sewickley, where my in-laws live) I haven't found a great option here. I've been to a few Giant Eagles and, while I absolutely love Head Hunter (had it at my wedding!), I would really appreciate some better options. I won't get into the silly rule of having separate registers.

3) Go to a beer store, like Bierport or 99 Bottles, and buy individual bottles at an insane price.

What am I missing? I just want to grab a few local 4-/6-packs at one location to bring home to friends. I don't want to buy individual bottles or drive around to multiple breweries. Am I just doing it wrong?

The beer laws have been somewhat liberalized in the past couple years. Beer stores (traditionally case only) can now sell 4-packs, 6-packs, & larger singles. More grocery & convenience stores are selling to-go stuff now.

That said, it has no bearing on selection at individual places. Some stores just have better selection than others. Most local breweries still don't distribute to retail to-go accounts, so yeah, you'd need to visit them place to place. More access doesn't automatically equate to better selection overall, or lower prices. You just now have five times the retailers selling the same 30 brands.

I don't think the laws are the problem at this point. In fact, PA allowing breweries to self-distribute is something of an asset that not all states have, it's just up to the individual producers how much they want to take advantage of it.

So is your question which retailer close to Sewickley has the best selection of local to-go stuff?

 

[bramsdell]

The beer laws have been somewhat liberalized in the past couple years. Beer stores (traditionally case only) can now sell 4-packs, 6-packs, & larger singles. More grocery & convenience stores are selling to-go stuff now.

That said, it has no bearing on selection at individual places. Some stores just have better selection than others. Most local breweries still don't distribute to retail to-go accounts, so yeah, you'd need to visit them place to place. More access doesn't automatically equate to better selection overall, or lower prices. You just now have five times the retailers selling the same 30 brands.

I don't think the laws are the problem at this point. In fact, PA allowing breweries to self-distribute is something of an asset that not all states have, it's just up to the individual producers how much they want to take advantage of it.

So is your question which retailer close to Sewickley has the best selection of local to-go stuff?

I guess my question is what is the best way to buy beer, preferably in 4-/6-pack format with a decent selection? The Giant Eagles don't have a great selection; the beer stores seem to be individual bottles; the breweries require individual stops. Is there something I'm missing?

In a roundabout way, sure, what is the best place near-ish to Sewickley where I will find a decent selection of fresh beer that I can't find in DC? Or is this just an unreasonable ask and, if I want fresh, local beer, I should just pick a brewery, check what it has to-go in cans, and go there?

 

[OneDropSoup]

I guess my question is what is the best way to buy beer, preferably in 4-/6-pack format with a decent selection? The Giant Eagles don't have a great selection; the beer stores seem to be individual bottles; the breweries require individual stops. Is there something I'm missing?

In a roundabout way, sure, what is the best place near-ish to Sewickley where I will find a decent selection of fresh beer that I can't find in DC? Or is this just an unreasonable ask and, if I want fresh, local beer, I should just pick a brewery, check what it has to-go in cans, and go there?

I'm not super familiar with the northwest suburbs, but you're about 15-20 minutes from the Settler's Ridge Giant Eagle Market District, which has one of the better selections among the GEs overall, & about 10 from Bellevue Beer. Again, not sure how much super-local stuff (read: not distributed by a wholesaler) either of them carry.

"Beer store" in PA basically has two definitions: there are the old guard independent bottle shops like Bierport & 99 Bottles that can sell any amount of beer up to 192 ounces, so you can get singles. The laws haven't changed for them, & I could never fully understand why they're so much more expensive in PA than seemingly every other state, but they are. Grocery & convenience stores pretty much fall under this category too, ushered in under this umbrella about eight years ago.

Then you have what are confusing called "distributors" that, up to a couple years ago, could only sell a case a time, & are now able to offer smaller units, though still not most singles (I suppose this is where the law is kind of a pain). Bellevue Beer is one of these.

Since few locals are distributed by second tier wholesalers, it's up to the breweries which accounts they want to schlep their cans/bottles to, & most tend to have a fairly small footprint. Not many of the breweries toward Sewickley even do small format packaging, which strains the selection in that area even more.

 

[preluderl]

Okay which of you degenerates bought up all of the McKenna 10 at McIntyre Square this morning?

 

[TempDownAtKZUG]

Best shop closest to Sewickely is JR’s in Rochester. Probably about 20 minutes. Best in the city is probably Liberty Beer.

Funny that you’re from DC and have in-laws in Sewickley. My in-laws live there and have a kid who now lives in DC.

 

[McMatt7]

7ish BG beers on tap at Pipers tonight for their 5th Anvy, DG dropping 4 or 5 or 6 Lustra "variants" on Saturday, Independent has a Grist House/RAR tap takeover tonight, Grist 5th Anvy on Sunday with RAR/Barreled Souls/Burley Oak/New Image/Alarmist plus maybe some local stuff, i think Hitch is dropping two cans on Saturday.....

Let's call it "Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week(end)"

 

[moarhops1]

Okay which of you degenerates bought up all of the McKenna 10 at McIntyre Square this morning?

******* nerds, turning shelf bourbon into pixie dust.

 

[preluderl]

7ish BG beers on tap at Pipers tonight for their 5th Anvy, DG dropping 4 or 5 or 6 Lustra "variants" on Saturday, Independent has a Grist House/RAR tap takeover tonight, Grist 5th Anvy on Sunday with RAR/Barreled Souls/Burley Oak/New Image/Alarmist plus maybe some local stuff, i think Hitch is dropping two cans on Saturday.....

Let's call it "Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week(end)"

Grist has a big release Saturday and then their little fest Sunday. Cinderlands is having a thing on Saturday.

Really there only seems to be one place that doesn't have something significant going on...

 

[moarhops1]

Grist has a big release Saturday and then their little fest Sunday. Cinderlands is having a thing on Saturday.

Really there only seems to be one place that doesn't have something significant going on...

I know right, Strange Logs gonna release a peanut butter banana sour aged in Laphroaig barrels, mark it down.

 

[preluderl]

I know right, Strange Logs gonna release a peanut butter banana sour aged in Laphroaig barrels, mark it down.

I already called and reserved a case of that for kbuzz because I know how much he loves Laphroaig.

 

[kbuzz1]

I already called and reserved a case of that for kbuzz because I know how much he loves Laphroaig.

Didn't realize there were more posts since the McKenna one and got excited for a sec that you ordered me a case of that.

But speaking of The Log. I saw they hired some new brewer.


Smartest thing they've ever done.

 

[preluderl]

Didn't realize there were more posts since the McKenna one and got excited for a sec that you ordered me a case of that.

But speaking of The Log. I saw they hired some new brewer.


Smartest thing they've ever done.

Didn't know that but I haven't visited since right after they changed the name and started making "normal" beer. I still can't forget that DIPA that tasted like a can o' corn.

 

[McMatt7]

Didn't realize there were more posts since the McKenna one and got excited for a sec that you ordered me a case of that.

But speaking of The Log. I saw they hired some new brewer.


Smartest thing they've ever done.

Check out consultantbuzz over here, knowing what's best for everyone.......except himself.


Hope you like spinning heel kicks with your McKenna.

 

[preluderl]

Check out consultantbuzz over here, knowing what's best for everyone.......except himself.


Hope you like spinning heel kicks with your McKenna.

I know that lazyboi didn't buy all the McKenna, he lives in Charlotte. I've got my eye on greg4579 for the crime though. Mainly because I know he's not here to defend himself.

 

[OneDropSoup]

7ish BG beers on tap at Pipers tonight for their 5th Anvy, DG dropping 4 or 5 or 6 Lustra "variants" on Saturday, Independent has a Grist House/RAR tap takeover tonight, Grist 5th Anvy on Sunday with RAR/Barreled Souls/Burley Oak/New Image/Alarmist plus maybe some local stuff, i think Hitch is dropping two cans on Saturday.....

Let's call it "Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week(end)"

Don't forget all that fat **** going down here: https://pizzadrafthouse.com/caliente-events-specials/

 

[kbuzz1]

Don't forget all that *phat **** going down here: https://pizzadrafthouse.com/caliente-events-specials/

 

[OneDropSoup]

You heard me.

Seriously, click on that link & prepare to have your nuts swell.

 

[kbuzz1]

You heard me.

Seriously, click on that link & prepare to have your nuts swell.

Such an abundant amount of info. Not redundant at all. If one hustles, one could drink from 5 different KBS kegs through the Greater Pittsburgh area. Now's THAT'S some serious ticking opportunity right there. Yinz are sooooo lucky.

 

[OneDropSoup]

Such an abundant amount of info. Not redundant at all. If one hustles, one could drink from 5 different KBS kegs through the Greater Pittsburgh area. Now's THAT'S some serious ticking opportunity right there. Yinz are sooooo lucky.

You'd also need a time machine -- all that info is from April.

 

[preluderl]

Welp.


(Link to media)

 

[kbuzz1]

You'd also need a time machine -- all that info is from April.

Way to set me up for such irreversible disapointment

 

[dadavat]

Okay which of you degenerates bought up all of the McKenna 10 at McIntyre Square this morning?

I saw a bunch of bottles yesterday. That was way more attractive at $30 than $40, especially sitting next to ecbp.

 

[preluderl]

I saw a bunch of bottles yesterday. That was way more attractive at $30 than $40, especially sitting next to ecbp.

A good buddy of mine is getting married next month and I've been ticking some bottles off of his wish list for a wedding gift. I've been able to snag Old Ezra 7, EH Taylor Small Batch and Four Roses Small Batch Select for him thus far, but hoping to add that McKenna to the box. I check the website every day but somehow missed the McKenna yesterday. McIntyre had five left at close last night but sold them all within an hour of open today.

Did you see the McKenna at that store or another?

 

[kbuzz1]

A good buddy of mine is getting married next month and I've been ticking some bottles off of his wish list for a wedding gift. I've been able to snag Old Ezra 7, EH Taylor Small Batch and Four Roses Small Batch Select for him thus far, but hoping to add that McKenna to the box. I check the website every day but somehow missed the McKenna yesterday. McIntyre had five left at close last night but sold them all within an hour of open today.

Did you see the McKenna at that store or another?

I have a prehype unopened bottle for you if it comes down to it. Gonna cost ya though....

 

[preluderl]

I have a prehype unopened bottle for you if it comes down to it. Gonna cost ya though....

Mouth hugs?

 

[dadavat]

A good buddy of mine is getting married next month and I've been ticking some bottles off of his wish list for a wedding gift. I've been able to snag Old Ezra 7, EH Taylor Small Batch and Four Roses Small Batch Select for him thus far, but hoping to add that McKenna to the box. I check the website every day but somehow missed the McKenna yesterday. McIntyre had five left at close last night but sold them all within an hour of open today.

Did you see the McKenna at that store or another?

Saw at least three bottles at mcintyre at like 6pm last night. Stopped in to get a bottle of wine but I always walk the bourbon aisle to see what fun new stuff they got. Sazerac and Rittenhouse ryes are good cocktail mixers so those were nice to see.